Roughriders go 2-1 on Texas trip

The Crowder baseball team is off to a 3-1 start this season after going 2-1 in a series against Panola College over the weekend.

The Crowder baseball team is off to a 3-1 start this season after going 2-1 in a series against Panola College over the weekend.

The Roughriders kicked off the series with a 10-4 victory on Friday, followed by a 7-1 victory and 4-1 loss in a doubleheader on Saturday.

In Friday’s game the Roughriders were backed by a strong offensive performance, highlighted with a six-run third inning. Starter Chris Caudle earned the victory after scattering three hits over five innings, allowing a run and two walks with a strikeout. Jake Barnes, Cody Jackson and Andrew Schwaab each had scoreless outings out of the bullpen.

Ryan Lazo led the Roughriders with three hits and two RBI, while Cody Webster, Lucas Feddersen and Matt Burgess each had two hits and an RBI. Cody Althouse, Tony Sandifer, Ty White and Chris Scroggins each had a hit and an RBI.

Trevin Sonnier had two hits for Panola.

Panola returned the favor in the first game Saturday’s doubleheader, riding a 4-1 victory in seven innings on the right arm of Bubba Maxwell, a University of Houston recruit. Maxwell, who got behind in the count just twice the entire game, went the distance on the hill and scattering five hits while striking out five, walking two and allowing an earned run.

Trey Watson took the loss for the Roughriders as he allowed four runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings. Connor Eller tossed the final 1 2/3 scoreless in relief.

With the score tied (1-1) Panola plated a run in the bottom of the fourth and added two more in the fifth on a two-run double by Matt Spruill. Derrian James had two hits and an RBI for Panola, as well.

Burgess had two hits and an RBI for Crowder, while Feddersen, White and Sam May also had hits.

The Roughriders rebounded in the nightcap with a 7-1 victory in eight innings thanks to a six-run rally in the top of the eighth. Josh Johnson and Ty White capped the inning with two RBI apiece as Johnson doubled and White singled in the frame.

Crowder’s Jon Woodcock started on the hill and dazzled in his 6 2/3 innings of work. The southpaw allowed three hits, an unearned run, walked two and struck out seven while being saddled with a no-decision. Cody Jackson, meanwhile, earned the win after recording the final out in the seventh.

Andrew Schwaab closed his second game of the series with his third scoreless inning of the season.

“We played well enough to win the series, which speaks well for our club,” Roughriders coach Travis Lallemand said. “We came down and won a series on the road, which is good. We got a lot of young guys experience on the mound.

“Losing that first game today grabbed a lot of guys’ attentions. It was a good loss to make sure everyone at practice this week understands what it takes to win those kinds of games. We didn’t execute the way we could have in that one and it cost us. But even in a loss there’s a lot of small wins.”

The Roughriders are back in action on Thursday with a doubleheader at Seminole State in Tulsa, Okla. at 2 p.m.